Shared Economy Talk Podcast

Most people think resilience means toughing it out. Ashton has learned it's actually about not making a bad moment worse. In this minisode, Miguel sits down with Ashton to unpack the habits that keep him steady under pressure, from how he structures his day around his own energy to the boundaries that protect his focus, to the mental process he runs before responding to an angry client instead of reacting to one.

The lesson underneath it all: the instinct to match someone's frustration, whether it's a client or your own kid, is almost always the wrong move. What actually works is separating the facts from the emotion, owning what's yours to own, and letting the rest go. For founders who feel like every bad interaction threatens to derail the whole day, this episode is a reminder that staying calm isn't a personality trait. It's a practice, built one small decision at a time.

We're revisiting this one because rental property owners are still asking the same question, how do I get out without getting crushed by taxes?

You bought a rental property years ago. Maybe decades ago. It's appreciated significantly, you've depreciated it down to almost no basis, and now the thought of selling makes you nervous because of the tax bill. Additionally, you're also tired of the maintenance calls, the liability, the capital expenditures that always seem to hit at the worst time.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Ari Rubin, founder of Flock Homes, to walk through the 721 exchange. It's a lesser-known section of the tax code that lets you contribute your property into a partnership, receive shares in return, and defer all capital gains and depreciation recapture without triggering a taxable event. Ari explains who this works for, how Flock operates at scale with over 1,100 homes, and why younger investors are using this strategy just as often as retirees.

Insights from this episode include:

• Why you can't just retire from being a landlord, and how the 721 exchange lets you step away from management, liability, and surprise expenses while keeping your equity intact
• How the 721 exchange differs from a 1031 exchange and why it's been used in equities for decades to diversify concentrated stock positions
• The three ongoing benefits: continued income distributions, exposure to housing market appreciation across a diversified portfolio, and ongoing depreciation from new CapEx
• How redemptions work and why taking cash out of the fund is treated as a reduction in basis (like a cash-out refi) rather than a taxable sale
• When cost segregation makes sense for rental property owners (and when it doesn't)

About Our Guest

Ari Rubin, Founder of Flock Homes, a platform that helps landlords exit their rental properties and transition to passive ownership through the 721 exchange, deferring capital gains while maintaining exposure to real estate income and appreciation. Visit flockhomes.com to learn more.

Email Ari directly at [email protected]

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at [email protected]

Most founders learn leadership through business books, mentors, or painful trial and error. Miguel learned some of his most important leadership lessons at the dinner table.

In this minisode, Miguel reflects on how raising kids, especially through the messiest, most humbling moments, quietly shaped the way he leads his team. The same instinct that makes a founder dangerous at work, the certainty that you know best, is the exact instinct that can damage trust at home and in the office. What fatherhood forced Miguel to learn is that passionate people don't need to be corrected. They need to be heard.

For founders who pride themselves on having the answers, this episode is a useful disruption. The strongest teams, like the strongest families, aren't built by the person who's always right. They're built by the person willing to hold their convictions loosely enough to let others lead. That's a lesson you can't find in a business book. Sometimes it takes a teenager pushing back on AP Spanish to teach you what your leadership team has been trying to tell you all along.

Most entrepreneurs are great at building systems for their business. Calendars, processes, accountability, all of it. But very few build systems for being present. Miguel has been an entrepreneur and a father since he was 17, and one of the hardest lessons he's learned isn't about scaling a firm, it's about learning to actually show up for the moments happening right in front of him.

In this minisode, Miguel shares what it really means to create space for memories and why that discipline matters whether you're a parent or not. The insight is simple but easy to miss: your most vivid memories form when your mind is clear, not when your calendar is full. For founders constantly carrying the weight of what's next, this episode is a reminder that presence is a practice, and that the life you're building a business to support deserves the same intentionality you bring to work. Tune in for a conversation that will make you rethink how you transition out of work mode.

 In this minisode of Under the Hood, Miguel and Ashton discuss one of the firm’s core values: Harmony in Life, Success at Work. They break down why building a successful company isn’t about maximizing hours worked, but about managing energy, creating space to recharge, and giving people the flexibility to fully show up both personally and professionally. From four-day workweeks and Flex Fridays to burnout culture, parenting, and the future of work in an AI-driven world, they share how prioritizing well-being has become one of the company’s strongest retention and performance strategies. 

In this episode of Beyond the Bottom Line, Miguel sits down with Jenn Cordova, founder and creative director of Jenn Cordova Design, to talk about what it really takes to build a brand that stands out and actually sells.

Jenn shares her journey from working in-house design roles to building her own creative studio, driven by the need for more creativity, challenge, and ownership over her work. What started as freelance projects evolved into a strategy-led branding business focused on helping food and beverage brands succeed on crowded retail shelves.

The conversation dives into how great design goes far beyond aesthetics. Jenn explains why positioning, clarity, and strategy are just as important as visuals and how the most successful brands are the ones that know exactly who they are and how to communicate it quickly.

They also explore what it means to “stand out on the shelf” (literally and metaphorically), how founders can think about differentiation, and why sometimes doing the opposite, like using unexpected colors or formats, can make all the difference.

Jenn also shares her perspective on AI in design, why it’s a powerful tool (but not a replacement for strategy), and how she approaches building a client experience that evolves as her business grows.

If you're building a brand or thinking about it, this episode is a deep dive into the intersection of creativity, strategy, and entrepreneurship.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why design without strategy often falls flat
• How to think about positioning and differentiation
• What makes a product stand out on a crowded shelf
• The real journey of building a creative business (and how long it can take)
• How AI is changing the design process for better and worse
• Why creativity and structure aren’t opposites and how combining both is a competitive advantage

About Our Guest

Jenn Cordova is the Founder and Creative Director of Jenn Cordova Design, a strategy-led branding studio focused on building retail-ready food and beverage brands. She works with founders at all stages, from early concepts to established products, helping them refine their positioning, elevate their visual identity, and create packaging that stands out on the shelf and drives sales.

With a background in graphic design and years of experience working with small to mid-sized businesses, Jenn blends creativity with strategy to deliver brands that not only look good, but perform in competitive markets.

To learn more about Jenn’s work or explore potential collaborations, visit her website or connect with her on social media.

Connect with Jenn on Instagram

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at [email protected]

A lot of business owners spend time trying to get everything right before they make a move. The plan, the structure, the tools, the details. But in reality, most of the progress comes from starting, learning as you go, and adjusting along the way.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Zohaib “Zo” Peti to talk through his path from early hustles to building and scaling multiple businesses. He shares how taking action, even when things aren’t fully figured out, helped him learn faster and create opportunities that wouldn’t have come from waiting.

Zo also shares what he’s seen working with thousands of businesses. From disconnected tools to overly complicated systems, he explains where a lot of companies lose momentum and how simplifying the way you operate can make a bigger difference. He’ll also touch on how AI is starting to play a role in all of this and what that could mean moving forward.

Insights from this episode include:

• Why overthinking and “analysis paralysis” stop more businesses than lack of opportunity

• How starting before you feel ready can accelerate learning and momentum

• Why most businesses struggle with disconnected tools, systems, and operations

• How simplifying your approach can remove friction and improve execution

• Why mindset, persistence, and adaptability matter more than getting everything right upfront

About Our Guest

Zohaib “Zo” Peti is the founder of Leapify, an AI operating system designed to help businesses run more efficiently, and Lead Origin, a digital transformation and marketing agency. He has built and scaled multiple companies across e-commerce, services, and technology, working with thousands of businesses from small startups to enterprise organizations.

If you’re interested in Zo’s other companies:

LeadOrign

WithPort

SnapWeb Services

Connect with Zoe on X (Twitter): @ZOPATOLI

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Under the Hood, Miguel and Ashton talk about how they approach events today. From ski trips and small group settings to panels and tech week, they get into what actually makes these experiences valuable. Over time, they learned that it’s less about formal agendas and more about building real relationships, having honest conversations, and creating the kind of environment where people open up. They also share how those connections naturally turn into opportunities for all, and why some of the most meaningful insights happen outside the structured setting.

Today Miguel and Ashton discuss stories and lessons learned from events, including how it’s better to be less formal…and more relaxed and conversational.

Why Fit Matters in Sales

In this episode of Under the Hood, Miguel and Ashton talk about how their approach to sales has evolved.  From chasing every opportunity to slowing down and figuring out if it’s actually the right fit, they get into how they open calls, why rapport matters, and what happens when sales and onboarding stay connected. It’s a candid look at how they think about selling today and why sometimes the best decision is walking away.

How to Reduce Taxes on Your Rental Properties

You bought a rental property years ago. Maybe decades ago. It’s appreciated significantly, you’ve depreciated it down to almost no basis, and now the thought of selling makes you nervous because of the tax bill. Additionally, you’re also tired of the maintenance calls, the liability, the capital expenditures that always seem to hit at the worst time.

In this episode, Miguel sits down with Ari Rubin, founder of Flock Homes, to walk through the 721 exchange. It’s a lesser-known section of the tax code that lets you contribute your property into a partnership, receive shares in return, and defer all capital gains and depreciation recapture without triggering a taxable event. Ari explains who this works for, how Flock operates at scale with over 1,100 homes, and why younger investors are using this strategy just as often as retirees.

Insights from this episode include:

• Why you can’t just retire from being a landlord, and how the 721 exchange lets you step away from management, liability, and surprise expenses while keeping your equity intact
• How the 721 exchange differs from a 1031 exchange and why it’s been used in equities for decades to diversify concentrated stock positions
• The three ongoing benefits: continued income distributions, exposure to housing market appreciation across a diversified portfolio, and ongoing depreciation from new CapEx
• How redemptions work and why taking cash out of the fund is treated as a reduction in basis (like a cash-out refi) rather than a taxable sale
• When cost segregation makes sense for rental property owners (and when it doesn’t) 

About Our Guest

Ari Rubin, Founder of Flock Homes, a platform that helps landlords exit their rental properties and transition to passive ownership through the 721 exchange, deferring capital gains while maintaining exposure to real estate income and appreciation Visit flockhomes.com to learn more .

Email Ari directly at [email protected]

Connect with Miguel on LinkedIn or reach out at [email protected]